HORNDEAN manager Michael Birmingham praised his side after their 4-0 victory at Shaftesbury on Saturday in the Sydenhams Wessex League Premier Division.

Mark Smith broke the deadlock for the Five Heads Park outfit in the first half. Alfie Lis doubled Horndean’s advantage in the second half, before Smith scored his second of the match to make it 3-0.

Substitute Connor Duffin completed the scoring when he made it 4-0 to the Deans.

“It was a very pleasing result,” said Birmingham.

“We changed our style of play to suit the pitch.

“We had two golden chances to score again in the first half, and at half time the message was more of the same.

“It didn’t take too long to get the second goal and that knocked whatever they had out of them.

“Greg Peel set up three of the goals, which was great to see.”

A number of players have returned from injury for the Deans, and Birmingham is pleased he has more options at his disposal.

“I’ve now got a headache of who to pick in a squad of 16,” said the Deans boss.

“At the start of the season I had a headache trying to find 11 fit players.

“Now the headache is deciding which one or two players to leave at home.

“That’s why we’ve got a big squad, though, so we can pull people out when we have to.”

The Deans have slowly climbed the Premier Division table, with the three points on Saturday moving Birmingham’s side up to fourth place.

But the Horndean manager isn’t getting ahead of himself, and insists his players must focus on one game at a time.

“We are taking things one training session at a time, one matchday at a time and one game at a time,” he said.

“We’ll then see where we end up.”